The Twins
by violet.blakemore
Summary: Two sisters from a rough background, plunged into the potterverse. Mayhem ensues as the wizarding world tries to adapt.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

The Twins

"Damn it, River! You know that's not true!" Angel huffed angrily. Her curly hair was flame red at the moment and hung in a loose cascade to her waist. Sighing, she shoved a pale hand through her locks, pushing them out of her face. Her green eyes darkened with unshed tears as she glanced at her twin sister, her exact opposite in every way.

"I know, Ange. My temper... you KNOW it's bad." Reaching up an olive toned hand, she gripped her long chestnut ponytail in frustration. Her chocolate brown eyes flashed with anger as she gripped tighter.

"This CANNOT go on. We have got to get out of that damn house!"

Looking at the two eleven year old girls, you would never be able to tell that they were related in any way, let alone twin sisters. Standing in front of the faded crimson lockers of Bellville Junior High, they were surrounded by other students. Yet the students gave them wide berth, the masses swirling around them didn't even glance their way as they continued to their final classes of the day.

River stood tall, her back strait as she and Angel talked with their back to the other children their age. River wore black slacks, slightly faded from washing, a cream button up shirt, black vest and three inch pumps that put her taller than her sister. Her clothes accented her voluptuous figure. Breasts larger than any other girls in school and a perfect bubble butt. Angel wore worn, baggy denim pants with a black hoodie that was a few sizes too big. Her black converses were grey with age and tattered on the sides. Her clothing hid her body, but her figure was just as curvy as her sisters.

"River, we will find a way... just... please. PLEASE don't make him angry. I know it's our eleventh birthday, but you and I both know he will be too drunk to remember. Ok?" Angels soft voice was meant for River alone. She didn't want someone to overhear her.

River tossed her head, "Of COURSE he forgot. We are his only children. Why remember OUR birthday?" Rivers voice was just as low as Angels but it thrummed with repressed rage, her jaw clenching and unclenching.

Angel reached up to lay her hand on Rivers arm, the contrast between her pale fingers and her sisters sun kissed skin was startling. River immediately calmed, her beautiful dark eyes softening with the love she and her sister had for each other.

"Fine, Angel. This ONCE I won't aggravate Tommy, ok?"

Angel smiled at how her sister refused to call their father anything but his first name. She agreed, however. He lost the right to be called father when their mother had passed.

"Thanks, Rivie." River grimaced at the nickname her sister called her, "let's go to class. You have band and I gotta get to choir."

River nodded, hoisting her electric guitar case onto her back. She also played electric violin but the band instructor had refused to let her play it in his band classroom. Angel pulled sheet music out of her pocket.

"You know, River... you could always join me in choir. Instructor Dunlap would like your alto."

River eyed her sister, sniffing, "And YOU could come to band. I've told people you play cello."

Angel shook her head, "Not happening. They would give me a solo, like they do you. Then I'd probably faint or something. "

River shook her head, hugging her sister before they split off in opposite directions.

Both sisters clambered onto the dusty yellow school bus, already sweating in the Texas heat. It was only May and the temperature was almost 100°. River grinned at Angel when the pale girl propped up her book bag to hide behind and slid out of her hoodie revealing a black tank top. Angel was slightly thicker waisted, but still curvy in all the right places. Sadly, she hid under all her clothes... unlike River, who proudly showed off her thin waist with slacks, pencil skirts and heels every chance she got. She dressed a lot older than she was because she wanted people to take her seriously. Where River was outgoing, and unafraid to voice her opinion, often with a sharp tongue, Angel shrank from crowds and hated having the spotlight on her. The bus ride to Cat Springs was spent with comfortable silence between the sisters even as the rest of the buses passengers shrieked and yelled at each other. River shook her hair, long enough to reach her middle back, and muttered under her breath.

"Damn howler monkeys."

Next to her, her nose buried in a manga, Angel snorted with suppressed laughter her eyes almost the shade of new grass.

"It's the boys, they want your attention." River laughed under her breath at Angels comment.

"They WISH."

Both girls faces went blank as they turned into their driveway. A crumbling mobile home stood desolately in a poorly cared for yard. There was an old run down truck parked haphazardly in front of the steps, it's dark blue paint almost gone-more rust than anything.

Angel and River shared a look.

HE was home.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

House Calls and Confusion

Both girls' expressions could have been carved from stone as they marched from the dusty bus. The hot summer sun was brutal as it beat down on the twins, washing out all color from the brown paint peeling on the mobile home. River reached the door first and paused, her hand on the handle, as she and Angel shared a look. They could hear the tv, louder than the cicadas droning on around them. The school bus was already gone, a hint of dust lingering in the air the only proof it had been there at all. Reading the trepidation in Angels eyes, dark green now with fear, River gave her a reassuring nod. Her brown eyes hardening, River quietly pushed open the door and stepped in.

The living room was pitch black, the heat and humidity from outside battled by a groaning window unit air conditioner. Stepping in quickly, Angel shut the door as quietly as River had opened it. Wasting no time, both girls crept down the hallway on silent feet. They passed an open door where the bathroom was, also dark. Then they slowed, River glancing inside a room with the flickering light from the tv. No other lights were on. No sounds heard save for the mechanic on tv babbling about how to fix an alternator. There, in the blue light, was an armchair facing away from the door. A man's arm was flung limply over the side and heavy breathing was heard. Rivers shoulders relaxed, seeing all the glass beer bottles on the floor around the chair. Looking at Angel, who had stood still while River checked on their father, she nodded her head towards the third door in the hallway. Angel gave a sharp nod and taking a breath, slipped past the open door. River quickly followed and they grinned at each other, white teeth flashing in the darkness as they reached their bedroom door. Just as Angel put her hand on the knob, someone pounded on the front door.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

Angel paled and whirled around, dashing to the front door on silent feet and hoping she got there before they woke her father. A grunt came from their fathers room as River followed her sister.

Angel yanked open the front door, the bright sunlight from outside spilling into the room. As she blinked, hoping her eyes adjusted quickly, a cheerful voice loudly proclaimed:

"Ah! Hello my dear. At your parents in at this time? I have a wonderful announcement for all of you!"

River, her eyes adjusting quicker than Angels, stared at the sight before her. There was an old man... a REALLY old man, standing at the door. He was wearing a glaringly bright yellow dress and his beard almost reached his knees. Angel slipped out of the way, letting her sister take lead.

"I'm River. My father is sleeping so please keep your voice DOWN."

River whispered harshly. Angel cocked her head sideways and nudged her sister, murmuring,

"He's not the only one out there, Riv. "

The demented old man blinked his baby blue eyes.

"Oh, forgive me! I'm Albus Dumbledore," he motioned behind him and a man River hadn't even noticed seemed to materialize out of the old gentleman's shadow, "and this is Severus Snape. Is there no way to wake your father at this time?" His voice hadn't lowered at all and River clenched her teeth, but before she could say anything a deep voice came from behind her.

"Whatever your selling, I'm not interested. Why don't you and your associate leave...NOW." Angel closed her eyes in horror as River swallowed, her mouth dry. Turning she looked at her father. He slouched in the hall entryway, his blue jeans dirty and reeking of booze. His bloodshot blue eyes glared at all of them and his lips were twisted into a snarl.

"Father, " Angel started to explain, and apologize but without even looking at her, he backhanded her with his meaty fist.

Teeth clicking shut, Angel blinked quickly to stop the tears, not a sound escaping her trembling lips. However, something happened she didn't expect. The dark man that had hidden in the shadows was suddenly nose to nose with her. She stared into his glittering onyx eyes, captivated by his pale skin as he reached up two fingers and touched her cheek.

She felt a warm tingle run through her, from head to toe, and almost didn't realize what was going on behind him.

While Snape cared for the girl, Dumbledore had pulled River outside. He had a stick in his wizened hand and River looked at him askance.

"What the HELL is a stick going to do here?!" She yelled, "if you can't help my sister, I will. Just get out of my way!" As she started to push past him, she was dumbfounded when a red light suddenly shot out of the stick at her father.

His bloodshot eyes wide, he collapsed in the hallway, gentle snores coming from his crumpled figure.

"I think," Snapes voice was like dark honey, "that it would be best if we left now." He came outside, Angel following close behind but abandoning him for her sisters side. River reached out, she and Angel holding hands.

"What...what is going ON here?!" Angels voice trembled slightly, as River held her hand tightly. Neither one noticed how Angels hair had darkened to almost black.

Raising an eyebrow, Snape responded, "You will be given an explanation shortly. "

Dumbledore shook his head as he held out a sock.

"Please hold tightly into this, my dears." River clenched her teeth.

"You... are bat-shit crazy. Why would I need to hold onto a sock?" Sighing, the old man shook his head. Before he could answer, Snape swore under his breath and grabbed Angels arm in his left hand and the sock in his right.

She squeaked, clenching to Rivers hand.

"Peanut butter," he snapped before Angel could pull away.

Suddenly Angel couldn't breathe, River gasping and clenching her hand even tighter told her that she couldn't either. It was like being pulled into a suction tube, a horrible rushing noise filling their ears.

Rivers feet suddenly felt the ground again, jarring her teeth as she landed sharply. She swallowed a few times to avoid sticking up. Angel wasn't so lucky. She hit the ground with her knees, heaving before she could stop herself. Snape swept over, he was wearing a black dress in the same cut as Dumbledore, and swooped Angel up into his arms.

River couldn't speak, her eyes wide with shock as she followed both men up a hill. They were at a castle, it's glittering windows were beautiful in the sunlight. It was much cooler here, she made a mental note to find out where they were asap. They entered the castle and started up a long staircase.

"The HELL?!" River gasped before she could stop herself. Her chocolate eyes were bugging out and she just KNEW she was going crazy. She had seen some of the paintings MOVING. Dumbledore smiled at her.

"We will explain everything once we get to the infirmary, dear." River immediately balked. She HATED needles. And nurses. And anything hospital related.

Snape had gotten far ahead of them and River groaned. She couldn't let these nutters take her sister out of her sight.

Shaking her head, she rushed to catch up the the dark man just as they reached a set of double doors.

Opening one, River followed and was startled when Snape barked a word out,

"Poppy!"

The flower? She wondered, confused.

Then a sharp faced woman hustled in, her plump frame draped with another one of those weird dresses, gray this time.

"Severus? What's going on?"

Her voice was clipped, but the tone friendly enough.

"Full scan on both, please."

River glared at him,

"I don't need-" she fell silent as the woman waved another stick over her and paper started coming out of the end... a lot of it.

Dumbledore gently pushed River into a seat by the cot that Snape gently lowered her sister onto. Poppy turned and did the same to Angel, who's hair had returned to the vibrant red River was used to seeing.

Poppy grabbed the two thick piles of paper and perused them, her lips pursed.

"River Takashi. Eleven years, four months and three days old. Multiple healed fractures-not all done correctly, lung corrosion from possible drowning experience, scars on various parts of her body and malnourished. Angel Takshi, same age. Mutiple healed fractures, also not healed properly. Mutiple scars on the bottom of her feet, and various other body parts, malnourished and exhaustion." Her eyes narrowed at Snape and Dumbledore.

"I think a dreamless sleep and bone growth are in order for both. I have a potion that will fix most of Miss Rivers lungs but nothing can be done for the scars."

Snape nodded, a frown on his face as he pulled two purple vials out of the cabinet. He went to Angels cot first, the red head was passed out, and gently tipped the vial to her lips; massing her throat so that she swallowed it. Turning to River he held it out.

River closed her eyes...

"Fuck it." She took the vial from the dark man and swallowed it. Before she could ask what was going to happen next, her body went limp as she slipped into unconsciousness.

Authors note: I in NO WAY condone violence against children. I was raised in an abusive household, and take most of the abuse scenes featured in this story from my own history.

Chapter three coming soon! What to expect:

Angel has a very angry episode. River shows a soft side.


End file.
